Midtown medical office employee stabbed, allegedly by a patient

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Police are investigating a bizarre attack at a doctor's office in Manhattan Wednesday, in which an employee was apparently stabbed in the stomach by a patient.

It happened suddenly and for no reason, authorities said, at the third-floor office of ColumbiaDoctors on West 51st Street in Midtown.

Authorities say the suspect, a 24-year-old Kane Balser, of Brooklyn, arrived for a psychiatric appointment around 10:30 a.m. But when he was told he had the wrong day, he became erratic and then pulled out a knife.

"A switch blade, and he had it like, holding it...in front of him," witness Elyce Ponte said. "I heard people screaming, 'evacuate, evacuate! He's got a knife,' So the lady is still on the phone, and I said to her, 'they just said there is somebody coming with a knife.' And I had a cup of coffee. It went into the air, and I went behind the couch."

Sources say a 32-year-old mail room employee, identified as Gregory Martinez was trying to help subdue Balser when police say he was stabbed in the stomach with a gravity knife. The victim was walking and talking when he was transported to the hospital.

Balser made it out of the building and onto 51st Street, where witnesses say two security guards took him down, one placing him in a chokehold while the other grabbed the arm with the knife. They held him down until police arrived. Balser allegedly slashed two car tires and punched a cop before he was taken into custody.

He was taken to Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

"I should have been a lot more scared, but I'm a nurse, so I've seen a few crazy things," Ponce said. "But the fact of the matter is, I want to say that I did see security guys come in, and they were big."

The knife was recovered at the scene.

Balser is charged with two counts of felony assault, three counts of menacing and one count each of assault, criminal mischief and harassment.